The knitting yarn called
Angora is made from the hair of the Angora rabbit.
ORIGIN
:
We find track of the Angora rabbit from the 17th century in
France, appreciated for the quality of its fleece.
BREEDING :
Very quiet animal, but rather sensitive to the stress.
REPRODUCTION :
the litter is from 2 to 8 young rabbits, the gestation lasts
31 days. The rabbit having very bad maternal capacities we
leave her only 3 with 4 young rabbits to insure them a good
development. Average longevity of the Angora rabbit is of
5 years.
BREEDING
: from the weaning (after 2 months)
every rabbit is in an individual cage, because
the hair must be very clean, exempt from suint
to be directly spun.
FOOD:
6 days a week a well-balanced food of granules,
and the 7th day straw to evacuate the hair which
the rabbit swallowed when groomed it self.
FLEECE
Combing: the first combing, to get back the hair
is made from the second month, then every three
months. To avoid the animal a thermal shock, combing
is made at two times, in interval of fortnight.
First of all we comb the stomach and the sides,
then we comb the back (the hairs of the head,
paws and tail not being used). Long hairs about
eight to ten centimeters, are removed by means
of a comb looking like a knife with big teeth.
PRODUCTION
- at approximately 2 months 30 grs of hairs
- at approximately 5 months 120 grs of hairs
- then every 100 days from 200 to 300 grs
Contrary to the other races, the " jarre " is precious very
thin, what gives the fur aspect to the yarn. During the combing, a
sorting is made in 3 qualities: jarreux, woolly and short.
Hairs are stored until to obtain hundred kilos for the spinning mill.
Yarns are then restored in balls or in hanks to the producer.
ADVICE FROM BERNARD :
For protection against the cold,
nothing is better than a natural and light fibre that is easy to take
care of and weatherproof.
Le lapin Angora 
ADVICE FROM BERNARD :